Christmas tree holder

ABSTRACT

A Christmas Tree stand, or holder consisting of an upstanding socket having a plurality of spaced radial sleeves threadedly connected to its bottom end and rods telescopically received in said sleeves and provided at their ends with floor engaging suction cups. Adjustable struts connect the sleeves to the upper portion of the socket. The sleeves have set screws for clamping the rods in outwardly adjusted positions. The struts are provided with turnbuckles for adjusting their length.

United States Patent 1 Seaman, Jr.

[451 Oct. 1, 1974 CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER [76] Inventor: John A. Seaman, Jr., PO. Box 141,

McMinnville, Tenn. 37110 221 Filed: Aug. 24, 1973 21 Appl. No.2 391,475

[52] US. Cl. 248/44, 248/188.7 [51] Int. Cl. A47g 33/12 [58] Field of Search 248/44, 46, 48, 188.7, 248/188.8, 188.9

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,358,865 9/1944 McPherson 248/188.7 2,421,146 5/1947 Blaner 248/314 2,516,802 7/1950 Richards et al.... 248/44 2,602,617 7/1952 Muth 248/44 X 2,849,202 8/1958 McCombs.. 248/44 2,904,291 9/1959 Harber et al 248/44 3,142,464 7/1964 Zelenitz 248/151 3,350,043 10/1967 Apple 248/48 3,469,342 9/1969 Morris 248/44 Primary Examiner-William H. Schultz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Berman, Bishoff & Platt [5 7] ABSTRACT A Christmas Tree stand, or holder consisting of an up standing socket having a plurality of spaced radial sleeves threadedly connected to its bottom end and rods telescopically received in said sleeves and provided at their ends with floor engaging suction cups. Adjustable struts connect the sleeves to the upper portion of the socket. The sleeves have set screws for clamping the rods in outwardly adjusted positions. The struts are provided with turnbuckles for adjusting their length.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER This invention relates to supporting devices, and more particularly to a Christmas Tree holder, or the like.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved Christmas Tree stand or holder which is simple in construction, which is easy to set up for use, and which is adjustable in size so that it can be employed in a wide randge of locations and in areas where floor space is relatively limited.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable Christmas Tree holder which involves relatively simple components, which is inexpensive to manufacture, which can be readily taken apart for transportation or storage, and which provides reliable support for a Christmas Tree.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved Christmas Tree holder which is compact in size, which is neat in appearance, which can be used in a wide variety of different locations, and which is provided with means for preventing damage to the floor on which it is placed, as well as for securely gripping the floor to maintain the holder in a stable and firm position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved Christmas Tree holder which is adjustable so that its socket portion can be accurately placed in a vertical position and can be maintained therein to securely support a Christmas Tree upright and to hold the Christmas Tree against falling, whereby to avoid fire hazards and other possible damage which may be caused by the falling of a Christmas Tree.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved Christmas Tree holder constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssectional view taken substantially in a plane containing one of the radial horizontal supporting sleeve elements of the Christmas Tree holder of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an improved Christmas Tree holder constructed in accordance with the present invention. The Christmas Tree holder 11 comprises a generally cylindrical socket member 12 adapted to be supported in an upright position, as will be presently described. The socket 12 is provided with the integral circular bottom wall 13 and is centrally apertured to receive a tree-engaging spike 14, as shown in FIG. 2, for fastening the bottom end of a Christmas Tree trunk in the holder. The socket member is further provided at its upper portion with at least three equally spaced thumbscrews l5 projecting radially, as shown in FIG. 2, and being directed inwardly to engage the trunk of a Christmas Tree received in the socket 12 to firmly clamp said trunk in the socket.

Secured in the peripheral portion of the base 13 of the socket I2 and projecting radially therefrom are a plurality of externally threaded studs 16, which may be in the form of short lengths of tubing having externally threaded outer end portions. At least three such stud elements 16 may be employed, and in the typical embodiment illustrated in the drawings, there are four equally spaced stud members 16. The members 16 may be secured in the peripheral portion of the base 13 in any suitable manner, asb by welding, or the like.

Threadedly engaged on the stud. elements 16 are respective outwardly extending radial sleeve members I7 in which are telescopically engaged respective rod members 18. Secured to the outer ends of the rod members 18 and facing downwardly therefrom are respective suction cups 19, said suction cups being fastened to the ends of the rod members 18 by fastening screw 20, as is clearly shown in FIG. 2. The sleeve members 18 are provided at their outer end portions with set screws 21 which are clampingly engageable with the associated rod members 18 to clamp said rod members in adjusted outwardly extending positions. Thus, the rod members 18 may be adjusted to conform with the particular shape of the floor area on which the holder 11 is to be installed, and where a large amount of such floor area is provided, the rod members 18 may be extended to a maximum amount to provide the corresponding maximum amount of floor bearing area for the holder. Where the floor area is relatively constricted, the rod members 18 may be adjusted inwardly to conform with the shape of said floor area.

Respective adjustable strut assemblies connect the outer end portions of the sleeve members 17 to the upper portion of the socket member 12. Thus, the strut members are provided with turnbuckle means so that they may be adjusted in length to accurately set the socket member 12 in a vertical upstanding position. As shown in the drawings, each strut member comprises respective threaded rod elements 22 and 23 pivotally connected at 24 and 25 to the outer end portion of the associated sleeve member 17 and the upper portion of the socket 12. The rod members 22 and 23 are oppositely threaded and are threadedly engaged by a turnbuckle sleeve 26, so that by rotating the sleeve in one direction the strut assembly may be shortened, and by rotating it in the opposite direction the strut assembly may be lengthened.

The pivotal connections at 24 and 25 may be made in any suitable manner, for example, the rod member 23 may be connected to the upper portion'of the socket 12 by a conventional rivet 25, whereas, the rod member 22 may be connected to the outer end portion of the associated sleeve 17 by a cotterpin 24. Theopposite end portions of the rod members 22 and 23 are preferably suitably flattened and are received between respective pairs of lugs 27,27 and 28,28 provided on socket member 12 and the associated sleeve 17, as shown in FIG. 3.

In using the holder, the parts are assembled in the manner shown in the drawings, namely, by engaging the sleeves 17 on the studs 16. The flattened ends of the rod members 22may then be engaged between the pairs of lugs 28,28 and the cotter pins 24 may then be inserted, the turnbuckle sleeves 26 being adjusted to suitably position socket member 12 in a vertical upright orientation. The rods 18 may then be engaged in the sleeve members 17 and adjusted to their maximum outward positions, in accordance with the amount of floor space available, after which they may be locked in outwardly adjusted position by tightening the set screws 21. The clamping screws 15 may then be tightened to firmly secure the trunk of the Christmas Tree in the socket l2.

It will be understood that the socket 12 may first be engaged with the bottom end of the Christmas Tree, the spike 14 being employed to secure the bottom wall 13 of the socket to the bottom end of the Christmas Tree trunk received in the socket 12. The abovedescribed assembly procedure may then be employed.

The Christmas Tree stand 11 may be disassembled by following a procedure reverse to that above-described. When thus disassembled, the parts may be received in a suitable receptacle, such as a bag, or the like, and may be easily stored until their use is again required.

It will be noted that the suction cups 19 are pressed downwardly to engage the floor and firmly hold the ends of the rods 13 against movement, thereby similarly holding the socket 12 in its intended fixed location. As previously mentioned, the socket member 12 is braced in its upstanding vertical position by means of the adjustable strut assemblies, including the turnbuckle sleeves 26 and the associated oppositely threaded rod elements 22, 23.

While a specific embodiment of an improved Christmas Tree holder has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A Christmas tree holder or the like, comprising an upstanding tubular socket having a bottom wall and open at the top for receiving the trunk of a Christmas tree, threaded spike means projecting upwardly through said bottom wall, and inwardly extending clamping screw means threadedly engaged through the upper wall portion of the tubular socket for clamping a Christmas tree trunk in the socket, at least three outwardly extending horizontal and radial sleeves of substantial length threadedly secured to and abutting the lower end portion of the tubular wall of the socket in the plane of the bottom wall, and respective rod members telescopically engaged in said radial sleeves in such amanner as to permit adjustment of those portions of said rod members which extend outwardly from the radial sleeves to substantially vary the combined length of said sleeves and said rod members, said radial sleeves and rod members together providing an adjustable floor engaging base structure for preventing said upstanding tubular socket from tilting, and said base structure being disposed at the very bottom of the tubular socket and being horixontally adjustable by reason of the telescopic engagement of said rod members in said sleeves, and respective upwardly and inwardly inclined strut members connecting the outer ends of said radial sleeves to the tubular socket, each strut member including oppositely threaded opposite rod portions pivotally connected respectively to a sleeve and the tubular socket, and a turn buckle sleeve threadedly engaged with the respective opposite rod portions for adjusting the length of the strut member.

2. The Christmas tree holder of claim 1, wherein each rod member is provided with a downwardly facing floor-engaging suction cup near its outer end.

3. The Christmas tree holder of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the socket in the plane of its bottom wall is provided with outwardly projecting stud elements and said sleeves are threadedly engaged on said outwardly projecting stud elements.

4. The Christmas Tree holder of claim 1, and wherein each sleeve is provided with a set screw clampingly engageable with its associated telescopically received rod member. 

1. A Christmas tree holder or the like, comprising an upstanding tubular socket having a bottom wall and open at the top for receiving the trunk of a Christmas tree, threaded spike means projecting upwardly through said bottom wall, and inwardly extending clamping screw means threadedly engaged through the upper wall portion of the tubular socket for clamping a Christmas tree trunk in the socket, at least three outwardly extending horizontal and radial sleeves of substantial length threadedly secured to and abutting the lower end portion of the tubular wall of the socket in the plane of the bottom wall, and respective rod members telescopically engaged in said radial sleeves in such amanner as to permit adjustment of those portions of said rod members which extend outwardly from the radial sleeves to substantially vary the combined length of said sleeves and said rod members, said radial sleeves and rod members together providing an adjustable floor engaging base structure for preventing said upstanding tubular socket from tilting, and said base structure being disposed at the very bottom of the tubular socket and being horixontally adjustable by reason of the telescopic engagement of said rod members in said sleeves, and respective upwardly and inwardly inclined strut members connecting the outer ends of said radial sleeves to the tubular socket, each strut member including oppositely threaded opposite rod portions pivotally connected respectively to a sleeve and the tubular socket, and a turn buckle sleeve threadedly engaged with the respective opposite rod portions for adjusting the length of the strut member.
 2. The Christmas tree holder of claim 1, wherein each rod member is provided with a downwardly facing floor-engaging suction cup near its outer end.
 3. The Christmas tree holder of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the socket in the plane of its bottom wall is provided with outwardly projecting stud elements and said sleeves are threadedly engaged on said outwardly projecting stud elements.
 4. The Christmas Tree holder of claim 1, and wherein each sleeve is provided with a set screw clampingly engageable with its associated telescopically received rod member. 